Sarah Di Lorenzo: High protein dairy is having a moment, but which type is actually best for your health?
Nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo: Protein is genuinely having a moment, but with the supermarket aisle full of options, here’s how to make the right choice.
Walk down any Australian supermarket dairy aisle and you’ll notice something has changed. Almost every product now shouts a protein number at you from the front of the pack. 15g. 18g. 30g.
Protein even has a designated packaging colour now — black.
The high-protein dairy category has exploded, and while I love that Australians are finally paying attention to protein, I want to cut through the marketing and show you what’s really in the tub.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Protein is genuinely having a moment, and it really is for good reason.
Protein keeps us full, protects muscle as we age, supports blood sugar, boosts immunity, helps with mood as well as our hormones, enzymes, fluid balance, longevity, muscle repair and growth and helps with weight management.
Most Australian women eat around 60g a day when we actually need closer to 90-110g, especially if we’re active or over 40. So a bit of a protein push is a very good thing, as long as we’re spending our money on the right products.
Here’s what you’re really getting per serve when you look past the front of the pack of dairy products.
High protein yoghurts
- A plain high-protein Greek yoghurt tub is 15-17g protein per 160g serve, no added sugar
- A flavoured high protein yoghurt pouch is 15g protein per 150g pouch, some with a little added sugar
- A performance style high protein pouch is up to 20g protein per 175g pouch
High protein milks
- Regular full cream cow’s milk is 8-9g per 250mL cup
- A2 milk is 8.3g per 250mL cup (same protein as regular, just A2 type only)
- Ultra-filtered milk is 10g per 250mL cup
- High-protein plain milk is around 18g per 300mL serve
- Flavoured high-protein milk is up to 30g per 400mL bottle, but often with 20g of sugar too
Cottage cheese
- Regular Australian cottage cheese is 11-13g protein per 100g
- Half a cup (around 120g) delivers roughly 15g protein for around 100 calories
BEST OF THE BUNCH
The real winners based on protein density, clean ingredients and value for money, these are the three that consistently top of my list:
- Plain real Greek yoghurt (not Greek style) a genuinely strained tub gives you 15-17g of protein in a small 160g serve, with no sweeteners and no thickeners. Add berries and nuts for a complete breakfast or snack.
- Cottage cheese is excellent. A cup delivers around 25-28g of protein for around 200 calories, works in so many different meals such as savoury on wholegrain toast or sweet with berries and cinnamon and even made into a wrap and is one of the cheapest high-protein foods in the supermarket.
- Ultra-filtered milk is a genuine step up from regular milk. The protein is naturally concentrated, so you get roughly 25 per cent more per glass with nothing added.
WHAT TO AVOID
In my opinion this is what to avoid:
Flavoured protein milks: The chocolate versions often carry 20g of sugar per bottle. Yes, they hit the 30g protein number, but a plain Greek yoghurt with berries does the same protein job for a fraction of the sugar.
Protein dessert pouches and flips: Just clever marketing, but many are really to be considered desserts dressed up as functional food. Sugar creeps back in, and the “high protein” claim distracts from a long ingredient list on the back.
Anything labelled Greek-style rather than Greek: Greek-style yoghurt is thickened with gums, gelatin or milk solids rather than genuinely strained. This is why its protein is often half that of the real thing, and why the ingredient list is much longer.
When you are shopping, turn the tub around. If the ingredient list is simply milk, cream and live cultures, and the protein is 15g or more per serve, you have a proper functional food. If the ingredient list is a paragraph of gums, sweeteners, starches and flavours, you have a dessert with a protein label. Any yoghurt above six grams of sugar has added sugar.
The high-protein dairy trend can genuinely help you meet your daily target, but only if you buy the right products.
Plain real Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese and ultra-filtered milk deserve a permanent spot on your shopping list and the only ones I ever recommend.
